A recent PAW (Notebook,
Oct. 24) featured a commentary on McCosh 50. PAW
noted the lecture hall as a locus for significant lectures and personalities. Perhaps
this trivia may be of interest.

As a freshman in 1946, I worked as a waiter at the athletic training tables. These
were located at that time in Osborn Field House (now the Field Center). This
was the corner of Prospect and Olden Street.

One evening I decided I would attend a lecture in McCosh 50. The lecture
was sponsored by the Liberal Union. The feature was the feisty U.S. senator
from Florida, Claude Pepper. Pepper was aptly named because of his controversial
liberal opinions, as expressed vociferously and expounded in the Senate. He definitely
was regarded as the leader of the liberal-left forces in the Senate.

My dorm was Laughlin, on the far side of the campus. As a consequence,
after my evening duties at Osborn I opted to go straight to McCosh, rather than
go all the way across campus to the room and then walk back. The time was
early before the lecture, but all the lights were on. I was the only individual
in the lecture hall. My thought was that I would spend the time studying until
the audience gathered for Pepper's lecture. I settled in.

Suddenly the silence of the lecture hall was broken by a loud explosion: "BANG." Needless
to say, I was startled and wondered what was going on. Within a short time
there was a second loud "BANG."

Calmly (?) I surveyed the scene. Smoke emanated from covers over the heating
ducts. I recall these adjoined the speaking platform. Investigation disclosed
the plot.

The explosions were from two M-50s, those large firecrackers used by the
armed services to simulate firepower. Evidently the plot was for the explosions
to occur during Claude Pepper's speech. The only problem was that the perpetrator
constructed a fuse of insufficient length. The lighted fuse lasted only long
enough to scare the hell out of me. This was long ago and I have
no idea of the content of the senator's speech, nor do I remember how large the
attendance. I do remember there was no further disruption.